ON so many levels, the decision last Thursday in the Maguindanao massacre case has such great importance to our nation.
Basically it was a victory of the rule of law in our country. It may have taken ten years, but our legal system works. Judge Jocelyn Solis Reyes of the Regional Trial Court of Quezon City handed down a verdict of guilty on 57 counts of murder in the massacre in Maguindanao on November 23, 2009.
At the beginning of the case, then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declared martial law in Maguindanao as it was feared that the normal processes of arrest and charging could not be done in a province so thoroughly controlled by the accused. The trial was moved to the Quezon City Regional Trial Court for the same reason. But now the trial is over and the decision has been handed down, with 43 convicted, led by three sons of the late former Governor Andal Ampatuan Sr..
The Maguindanao massacre has been called the “single deadliest event for journalists in history.” Of the 58 victims, 32 were newsmen, who had joined the political group going to file certificates of candidacy in the coming election. They were not the principal targets of the killers, but they were potential witnesses. The killing of so many journalists was a black mark on press freedom in our country.
Although so many were arrested and subsequently charged and convicted, there are some 80 other suspects who were never arrested and detained. They remain threats to the surviving victims and their families, as well as to the witnesses. This is why stringent security measures were taken, including a lock-down of Camp Bagong Diwa for the reading of the decision last Thursday.
The decision was rendered by a woman judge. “I salute Judge Jocelyn Solis Reyes for her dedication and courage to stand or what is right and just,” Sen. Joel Villanueva said. “There should be recognition of the legal prowess, commitment, and bravery of Judge Reyes who took the responsibility of deciding the case despite the threat to her life and her family,” said Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga, president of the National Unity Party.
The case highlights the continuing problem of private armies and loose firearms in the country. These private armies of political clans are often a big factor in elections for congressmen, governors, mayors, and other local officials; they are often a bigger factor than issues of government in local elections. “It is truly tragic but true that the Maguindanao massacre is emblematic of the danger posed by private armies, militias, and paramilitaries, and how it has become one of the pillars of the reign of impunity in our country,” said House Deputy Minority Leader Carlos Zarate.
This is the Maguindanao massacre case, so significant on so many levels. It may not be over as there will be appeals which would eventually lead to the Supreme Court. But with the decision made by Judge Reyes last Thursday, it has become a major part of our legal system and a stirring victory for the rule of law in our country.
